Author
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Blanche, Catalino |
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CARINO, H - UNIV OF AUBURN |
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Submitted to: Society of American Foresters
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 4/30/1998 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Pine straw harvesting is gaining recognition as a very profitable agroforestry complementary enterprise. Income from pine straw harvesting ranges from $300 to 800 per acre under a fully stocked stand and $200 to 500 per acre under a reduced stocking rate (wide spacing agroforestry tree row configurations). Introducing pine trees to a pasture reduced the income from the pasture initially due to reduction in the amount of cattle raised but this reduction in income can be avoided by maintaining the same number of animals with supplemental feeding. Because the net income per acre of pasture ($75) is currently high, allocating some acreage to timber may not be as profitable unless stocking rate is maintained and supplemental feeding is done. Adding pine straw harvesting to the whole operation can more than double the profit from the farm. Although pine straw harvesting is very profitable, the continuous removal of nutrients from the site as a result of pine straw harvesting could lead to reduced tree growth and soil productivity. Results from our studies, however, indicate that nutrient removal can be cost effectively replaced through the application of fertilizers. The cost of fertilization can be further reduced if trees are planted in agroforestry configurations. For as long as it is economically and environmentally cost effective to replace those lost nutrients through fertilization, harvesting the pine straw that fall every year should be taken advantage to improve small farm profitability and viability. Technical Abstract: With millions of acres of pine plantations in the Southeast, pine straw harvesting can conceivably become a billion dollar industry. However, certain environmental and economic constraints must be reconciled. This paper reports on the problems of nutrient depletion from straw harvesting in various agroforestry tree-row configurations along with an evaluation of the economics of incorporating pine straw harvesting in silvopastoral systems. Macronutrient depletion from pine straw harvesting increased from single-row to double-row, quadruple-row and fully stocked (traditional plantation) stands, respectively. Incremental and discounted cash flow analysis showed that the income of a typical Arkansas pastureland could be substantially enhanced by allocating some acreage for the production of pine timber and/or pine straw. Increase in annual net income per acre under a reduced animal stocking program was achievable only when pine straw harvesting was included in a model farm in Murfreesboro, Arkansas where the average net income from the pasture alone was $75 per acre. |
